BASF Coatings has opened a new training center in Shenyang, China, for the company's refinish coatings product users. The new training center will strengthen BASF Coatings' competencies in customer training services and in providing enhanced refinish coatings solutions. The new BASF Refinish Competence Center Shenyang opened on September 26.

"I believe the opening of our new training center with international standards will have a great impact on China's refinish coatings industry," said Hans-Juergen Becker, the head of BASF Coatings International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. "As the after-sales network of global and local OEMs in the country is growing rapidly, establishing the new training center will allow us to further support the professional development of painters and bodyshop staff in China."

The BASF Refinish Competence Center Shenyang will be located in a new vocational school owned by LiaoNing College of Communication (LNCC), and is based on a cooperation with Shenyang German Academy for Economy and Technology. The contract between BASF and SGA allows BASF to use facilities on a regular and frequent basis and to also provide its trainers to SGA for their independent training. BASF Coatings currently has training centers in Kunshan, close to Shanghai, and Beijing, China.